25 Facts About Martha Argerich

Martha Argerich is an Argentine classical concert pianist.

The recipient of several awards, including three Grammy Awards, Martha Argerich is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of all time.

Martha Argerich gave her debut concert in 1949 at the age of eight.

The family moved to Europe in 1955, where Martha Argerich studied with Friedrich Gulda in Austria, whom Martha Argerich describes as one of her major influences.

Martha Argerich later studied with Stefan Askenase and Maria Curcio.

Martha Argerich seized opportunities for brief periods of coaching with Madeleine Lipatti, Abbey Simon, and Nikita Magaloff.

Martha Argerich did not play the piano for three years and considered giving it up to train as a secretary or doctor.

Martha Argerich credited Anny Askenase, the wife of Stefan Askenase, with encouraging her to return to the piano.

Martha Argerich performed her debut concert at the age of eight, playing Mozart's Piano Concerto No 20 in D minor and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 1 in C major.

Martha Argerich gained international prominence when she won the VII International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1965, at age 24.

Martha Argerich has since recorded works by composers including Ginastera, Rachmaninoff and Schumann, to whom she describes feeling a particular connection.

Martha Argerich has often remarked in interviews of feeling "lonely" on stage during solo performances.

Martha Argerich has promoted younger pianists, both through her annual festival and through her appearances as a member of the jury at international competitions.

Martha Argerich has supported several artists, including Gabriela Montero, Mauricio Vallina, Sergio Tiempo, Roberto Carnevale, Gabriele Baldocci, and Christopher Falzone.

Martha Argerich is the president of the International Piano Academy Lake Como and performs annually at the Lugano Festival.

Martha Argerich has created and been a General Director of the Argerich Music Festival and Encounter in Beppu, Japan, since 1996.

Martha Argerich's playing is still as dazzling, as frighteningly precise, as it has always been; her ability to spin gossamer threads of melody as matchless as ever.

Martha Argerich returned to the Proms at the age of 78 in 2019 to perform Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto under the baton of Barenboim, a performance described as "mesmerizing".

From 1969 to 1973, Martha Argerich was married to Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit, with whom she had a daughter, Annie Dutoit.

Stephanie Martha Argerich explains in her film Bloody Daughter that as her parents were not married, they tossed a coin to name their daughter, for which Martha Argerich won the toss.

Martha Argerich brought her children up in a manner described by Annie Dutoit as "bohemian"; Martha Argerich preferred her children to stay at home rather than go to school, and would regularly host young musicians in her home and practice through the night.

Martha Argerich is a polyglot and can speak Spanish, French, Italian, German, English, and Portuguese.

Martha Argerich has lived in Argentina, Belgium, Switzerland, and France, and holds citizenship in Switzerland and Argentina.

In gratitude, Martha Argerich performed a recital at Carnegie Hall benefiting the institute.

Stephanie Martha Argerich Blagojevic, using film she had shot since childhood, directed a 2012 documentary film about her mother, titled Bloody Daughter.